An old foe, who was thought dead, has come out of the shadows with secrets that threaten to end the Suicide Squad.

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Threatening Secrets Arise in Suicide Squad #35

Amanda “the Wall” Waller is cracking under pressure in Suicide Squad #35. An old foe, who was thought dead, has come out of the shadows with secrets that threaten to end the Suicide Squad. Previously, in Suicide Squad #34, the Suicide Squad took on a host of aliens that resembled Xenomorphs from Aliens and Pinky from Doom. During their encounter, a new member, Juan Soria, managed to destroy the hive single-handedly. These events – and the events that occurred before that – have influenced the U.S. Government to step in and create a machine that may become a force to be reckoned with.

Story

Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad, may have just become obsolete. The United States military has developed a new piece of technology called “The Wall.” “The Wall” is a mechanized super suit that transforms any Marine into a super-soldier. Furthermore, the suit is enhanced by A.I. directly implanted in the soldier’s brain that enhances his abilities. Additionally, the A.I. allows for direct confrontation of cyber terrorists and allows access to files that Amanda Waller previously had exclusive access to.

Not only do they have “The Wall” to worry about, but the state of the Squad itself. Waylan Jones is practically non-existent, only Killer Croc remains. June Moone is comatose, which means Enchantress is no longer available to Task Force X. The Suicide Squad can barely keep it together in the field as they try to detain a super-villain before the U.S. military gets there. On top of all of that, Amanda Waller is losing control. And, an old enemy has come out of the shadows to reveal all of Waller’s and the Squad’s secrets.

Rob Williams’s writing in this issue is great. The dialogue flows well and not a single phrase seems uncharacteristic for the leading cast. None of the text boxes look or feel as though they do not belong. Additionally, some of the best pieces of dialogue come from the Immortal in this issue. The story, in general, is very interesting and I hope it leads to new possibilities for future issues of Suicide Squad. So far, I have really enjoyed what Williams has done with Suicide Squad. I especially enjoyed his and Simon Spurrier’s Going Sane arc.

Art

Eduardo Pansica’s artwork is phenomenal in this issue. Characters look fairly realistic, even more monstrous characters, such as Killer Croc. While close-ups of characters look stunning, shots of characters from a distance look just as great for the most part. There were a couple of moments where characters’ faces looked a little strange. Granted, many of those moments were in the midst of the intense action. However, no matter what is going in any of the panels, no character is unrecognizable. Images of explosions and characters in the midst of pummelling one another look believable and just as realistic as many of the characters. Adriano Lucas’s colors are somewhat subdued, and every shade chosen is dark and give this issue a very gritty look. The color scheme matches the tone of this issue quite well. There were only a couple of times the colors seemed rather cartoony. However, I doubt anyone would take notice if they were not specifically looking for that shift.

Conclusion

With Amanda Waller falling apart along with the Squad itself, things are looking grim. As a fan, it’s exactly what I want in a Suicide Squad issue. There’s a great moment towards the end of this issue that left me wanting more. The over-arching theme of being destroyed from the inside due to secrecy fits within the narrative perfectly. It will be interesting to see where Williams takes Task Force X moving forward. In a way, Suicide Squad seems to have become a commentary on the dangers of deception. While Amanda Waller uses deception and secrecy as a mask, the members of the Squad have nothing to lose and therefore do not need to hide. They may be the only ones that can save the Suicide Squad initiative as Waller’s mask begins to slip away.

About the author

Joshua Page

Joshua is a recent college graduate with a B.A. in English who once wrote a 2,700 word essay on Harley Quinn in a literature class. Not only is he a massive DC and Harley Quinn fan, but he is obsessed with the Alien and Star Wars franchises. When he is not reading comics, he is studying beer. By definition, he is a nerd and proud of it.